Rochdale council is to make two separate bids for £20m in ‘levelling up’ monies for projects in Rochdale and Heywood and Middleton respectively. The applications will be made to the government by midday on Wednesday after bosses signed off on the proposals at the latest cabinet meeting.
The government’s much-vaunted ‘levelling up’ agenda aims to narrow regional inequalities and bring prosperity to ‘left behind’ areas in the north and midlands. Council bosses say successful bids would support the delivery of some of the authority’s ‘key regeneration priorities’ - including in Heywood and Middleton town centres and the area around Rochdale railway station.
Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for economy and regeneration said the council was ‘excited’ to be submitting the bids, which would advance a ‘major milestone’ in the Rochdale rail corridor strategy and help to ‘showcase’ what the towns of Heywood and Middleton have to offer.
